The Fragrance

of Faith

The Enlightened Heart of Islam

Jamal Rahman

THE BOOK FOUNDATION BATH, ENGLAND

THE BOOK FOUNDATION www.thebook.org Copyright © 2004 Jamal Rahman. All rights reserved. No part of this book may reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Publication Design by Threshold Productions. Cover Design by Kabir Helminski. Special thanks to Talal and Nadia Zahid for their support. First Book Foundation edition published 2004. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record of this book is available from The British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The fragrance of faith / by Jamal Rahman. Bath, England: The Book Foundation, 2004. ISBN 1-904510-08-6 Includes bibliographical references. 1. Islam. 2. Sufism I. Jamal Rahman II. The Book Foundation

Dedication

Dedicated to the memory of my beloved parents, Ataur and Suraiya Rahman.

O my Su a ner, Bestow You grace upon them, st i r even as they cherished and nurtured me when I was but a child.

[Sürah Al-Isrä° 17:22-24]

Acknowledgments All gratitude is to Alläh, Infinitely Compassionate and Merciful. I am deeply indebted to: All my teachers for the generosity of their gifts and blessings. My beloved family, especially Kamal and Aysu, for their uncondi-

tional love. Barbara Trites for her consummate skills and lavishness of spirit in

nursing this project from beginning to end. Karen Lindquist, Bill Bennett, and Katayoon Naficy for their stead-

fast and loving support. Rabbi Ted Falcon, Rev. Rodney Romney, and Father William

Treacy for the sweetness of friendship and the beauty of shared commitment.

Wayne Teasdale, Melissa West, and Denise Linn for their precious encouragement.

Kabir and Camille Helminski for their vision and graciousness. Talal & Nadia Zahid, Hamida Battla for their kind support of intel-

lectual work of this kind. Subhana Ansari for her kind and professional editorial assistance. And finally, to members of our growing Interfaith Community in

Seattle whose genuine love, heartfelt challenges, and shared ideals have made me a better Muslim.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction....................................................................................................... 1

WISDOM FROM PARENTS................................................................................ 9 ....................................................................................................... 9Gratitude

............................................................................................12The Real Work

..................................................................................................15Compassion

................................................................................................19Inner Majesty

THREE PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM FIRST PRINCIPLE: SURRENDER ..................................................................... 23 The Journey of Isläm ....................................................................................23 Longing of the Soul ......................................................................................25 Two Veils.....................................................................................................29 The Ego .......................................................................................................31 The Nature of Ego .......................................................................................34 Patterns.........................................................................................................35 Excuses .........................................................................................................36 Fear ..............................................................................................................38 Attachments..................................................................................................40 Two Basic Laws............................................................................................43 The Divine Exchange...................................................................................46

SECOND PRINCIPLE: FAITH ........................................................................... 49 Ïmän.............................................................................................................49 Experiences ..................................................................................................51 Inner Teacher...............................................................................................54

THIRD PRINCIPLE: MORAL VIRTUE .............................................................. 58 Iåsän.............................................................................................................58 Humility.......................................................................................................61 Sincerity .......................................................................................................64 Patience........................................................................................................66 Truthfulness..................................................................................................68

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FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM

FIRST PILLAR: PROFESSION OF FAITH............................................................ 71 Introduction to the Profession of Faith ...................................................... 71 The Shahädah—Part 1 ................................................................................. 72 Mystery........................................................................................................ 73 The Face of Alläh ........................................................................................ 78 Larger Story ................................................................................................. 81 Closeness ..................................................................................................... 84 Pleasure and Bliss ......................................................................................... 86 The Shahädah—Part II ................................................................................ 89 Silence ......................................................................................................... 93 Little by Little .............................................................................................. 98 Open Mind................................................................................................ 100 Open Heart ............................................................................................... 104 Love .......................................................................................................... 111 Two Realms.............................................................................................. 117

SECOND PILLAR: PRAYER............................................................................ 121 Çalät and Dhikr .......................................................................................... 121

THIRD PILLAR: ALMSGIVING ....................................................................... 128 Zakät and Çadaqät ...................................................................................... 128

FOURTH PILLAR: FASTING........................................................................... 132 Ramaîän ................................................................................................... 132

FIFTH PILLAR: PILGRIMAGE ......................................................................... 134 Åajj ........................................................................................................... 134

WISDOM FROM PARENTS: ........................................................................... 141 Flexibility................................................................................................... 141 Journey Home ........................................................................................... 144

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES ................................................................................ 149

BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................ 159

vi

Introduction

MY PARENTS have been my most precious teachers. They taught with love and caring the basics of the Islamic faith and conveyed the spirit of the tradition through example and by a special teaching.

This special teaching I refer to is a learning attained by contempla-tion on stories and verses. This simple method of teaching and learning is found in many traditions. The profoundest truth is sometimes best ex-pressed by a teaching story or sacred verse that illuminates. Islamic mystics make prolific use of this technique.

Instinctively, a teacher knows which particular story or verse is needed for the student’s inner work. Through this process of meditation on the verse or story, subtle shifts can occur within one’s being. As one acts on this heart-felt understanding, i.e., begins to live it, one inevitably develops into a higher station.

Once the blush of the Beloved descends on you,

there is no going back to being a green apple.

(Traditional saying)

My father acquired his fondness for this technique from his father,

Maulana Hedayatullah, a rural spiritual teacher and healer of Northern Bengal. Grandfather made an art form of this technique. He made exten-sive use of stories and verses in public sermons, healing sessions, and in conversations with intimates and students.

I never met my grandfather, but he is a formidable presence in my

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Jamal Rahman

life. Most of father’s insights on Isläm were attributed to my grandfather. Every few months grandfather “appeared” to him. Father never ceased to be astonished, refreshed, and deeply touched by this phenomenon. Eve-ryone in our family felt a special affection and respect for grandfather.

Grandfather spent close to twenty years in intensive study and medi-tation in Northern India, in the conservative Islamic Deoband School, and later, with free-spirited teachers in other parts of India. Besides theol-ogy and mysticism, he also received extensive training in healing tech-niques. Upon return to his village home in Bengal as a scholar and healer, he was promptly offered the chair of Arabic and Persian studies in prestig-ious colleges in Calcutta, but he turned them down. He felt called to live and serve in villages.

The community in grandfather’s village of Mahdipur built three rooms adjacent to his house to serve as an official school and a place for grandfather to offer guidance and healing to individuals. Grandfather con-ducted classes for a committed circle of students, usually under the shade of mango trees.

Grandmother was known in the village communities for her ability to heal through her compassionate gaze and tender touch. Even though publicly she stayed in the background because of social conservatism, in private she worked tirelessly in counseling, healing, and empowering scores of women who flocked to her. She was a source of immense sup-port to grandfather; they worked remarkably well as a team.

The word “spaciousness” was very dear to grandfather and this word became an integral part of my parent’s vocabulary and mind set.

“Without spaciousness of mind and heart it is difficult to compre-hend the Qur°än,” insisted grandfather. “The Holy Book is difficult to grasp. How could it be otherwise?” Grandfather pointed out that in the Qur°än, the Infinite is seeking expression through the limitations of lan-guage. It is as if the entire musical scale is being expressed through one note.

Commenting on the Qur°än, a åad th (a saying of the Prophet Muåammad ) is that “its roots lie in the heart of man and its branches

ï

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The Fragrance of Faith

or subtle meanings reach high into the sky of mystical knowledge.” None understands except “those who possess the inner heart” [Sürah Äl ªImrän 3:7].

As a teenager, I delighted in the insight of the thirteenth-century Is-lamic saint, Jalälu’ddin Rümï, that the Qur°än is like a shy bride and rather than approach her directly, it is advisable to first bond with her friends, those who possess the inner heart. These are the sages who abound in Isläm.

From an early age, I was fascinated by the universally-loved Rümï. When his heart opened up and his being “burst through the seven worlds,” words of pearl-like wisdom and beauty flowed out of him. His scribes wrote them down over a period of years and compiled his utter-ances into books.

By the grace of God, some of my formative years were spent in countries where Rümï is studied with awe and devotion: Iran and Tur-key. This international traveling was possible because my father was a diplomat. Father was expected to live his life as a teacher and healer in the tradition of his ancestors, but he broke the pattern. He opted to serve in a different capacity. He joined the diplomatic service and went on to be-come Ambassador of Pakistan and later, after the country separated into two nation states, Ambassador of Bangladesh.

I was apprenticed to friends of my parents who explained to me that Rümï had penetrated the mysteries of the Qur°än. I was fascinated by these pious “teachers” who carried with them wherever they went a copy of the Qur°än and the Mathnawï,1 a book of sacred poetry by Rümï. At night they deposited with great care the Qur°än on the highest shelf of the house and gently placed the Mathnawï under their pillow. The ten-derness of my teachers’ hearts and the sweetness of their devotion struck a deep chord in my heart.

I was taught verses of the Qur°än and then invited to chant and

1 The Mathnawï is a vast six-volume work of exquisite spiritual knowledge in the form of rhyming couplets written in Persian. Rümï wrote only the first eighteen lines; the rest were dictated over a period of twelve years to his favorite scribe, Åusämuddïn Chelebi.

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Jamal Rahman

meditate on selected poetry of Rümï. Like millions of people, I felt un-bounded adoration and veneration for Rümï’s insights which essentially are commentaries on the inner meanings of the Qur°än.

From my mother I acquired a love of “Mullah Naçruddïn” stories. The Mullah is a mythological and folklore character who is timeless and placeless, much like the Native American trickster, the coyote, in story-telling. Teachers regularly use Mullah stories to impart teachings.

The Mullah is a village idiot and sage rolled into one. It is said that because he does not aspire to be a teacher, he is truly a teacher. The Mul-lah is not unlike us, but he is also not like us.

Mother took great joy in planting Mullah stories that have “many levels of meaning” in our subconscious minds. When unexpected insights arose, mother delighted in what she called “blossoms and fruits.”

My father and mother were remarkable teachers, deeply versed in Isläm and possessed of the precious spaciousness that grandfather referred to repeatedly. They rooted their children in the teachings of Isläm but encouraged us to nourish those roots by learning about other traditions. Growing up in Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian countries, we visited mosques, temples, synagogues, and churches. My parents genu-inely believed that a sincere appreciation of other faiths deepens and wid-ens one’s own inner faith. An appreciation of other traditions is not about conversion; it is about completion. Many times, especially in India, I heard Mahatma Gandhi’s beautiful words often in our household: “It is a sacred duty of every individual to have an appreciative understanding of other religions.”

When friends of father applauded him for being a modern Muslim, he replied that appreciation of other traditions is in the true spirit of Isläm. The Qur°än mentions that many prophets and religions came before the Prophet Muåammad ; “do not make any distinctions between them” [Sürah An-Nisä° 4:152]. When delegations of non-Muslims visited the Prophet Muåammad, he invited them to conduct their services in the mosque for “it is a place consecrated to God.”

The same friends were surprised to hear from mother that the

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The Fragrance of Faith

Prophet Muåammad was a revolutionary when it came to advocating women’s rights. Mother had much to say on this matter. In seventh-century Arabia, a strictly patriarchal society, the Prophet insisted that women receive property, inheritance, and divorce rights—something unthinkable for that period. Mother readily brought up the issue of the Prophet’s marriages. For twenty-five years the Prophet was married to his beloved wife, Khadïjah . Take note, said mother, that Khadïjah was fifteen years the Prophet’s senior and as a successful business lady, the Prophet’s employer. “Is this not radical for any age?” asked mother. After Khadïjah’s death, the Prophet lived ten more years and in that time mar-ried several wives. Two of his wives were Jews and one Christian; all of his wives, save for one, were slaves, widows, or divorcees, considered discards in that community. The Prophet directed attention to the great need to break down social and cultural prejudices.

Mother minced no words in explaining that some so-called “Is-lamic” practices had their roots not in the Qur°än but in male-dominated cultures. The veiling of women was a case in point. Another was the issue of a man marrying four wives in special circumstances. The Holy Book emphasizes that this is permissible only if the multiple marriage is just, fair, and most important of all, if the husband is able to divide his affection equally between his wives.2 In Sürah An-Nisä°, the Qur°än clearly states that “you will never be able to deal equitably with all your wives, how-ever much you want” [4:129]. If some men choose to avoid and flout this verse, it is to suit the convenience of the male ego.

Ultimately, it is the ego that needs to be worked on. Transformation of the ego is our life purpose. It is the untamed ego that tries to “possess” a religion or prophets. Spirituality cannot be roped or caged; prophets belong to no one and everyone. Every religion is humankind’s heritage.

My parents frequently employed the metaphor of every religion be-ing a flower in God’s garden. Mother enchanted her guests by singing a poem by Tagore in Bengali:

2 A woman does have the right to specify monogamy in her marriage contract, as did the granddaughter of the Prophet, Amïnah.

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Jamal Rahman

I came to offer You a flower

But You must have all my garden It is Yours.3

Three Principles and Five Pillars of Isläm Rümï said of his lifelong study of the Qur°än, “I have taken the

marrow from the Qur°än and thrown the bones to the dogs.” This was not meant to be disrespectful but to underline an essential point: it is paramount to absorb the essence of a tradition and live it and not be dis-tracted by hair-splitting disputes.

Muslims traditionally receive guidance and inspiration from four sources: first, the Qur°än; second, the collected sayings of the Prophet and examples of his life (called åadïth and sunnah, respectively, and classed as one); third, resources in the community, e.g., the wisdom of elders and scholars; and fourth, individual reasoning.

I have chosen verses of the Qur°än and åadïth to highlight the three principles and five pillars of Isläm. I have then elaborated on them, draw-ing on the wisdom of Rümï’s prose and poetry, teaching stories, and, finally, teachings of my family exemplified by grandfather.

The three principles of Isläm are surrender, faith, and moral virtue. The five pillars are the profession of faith, prayers, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage.

Arrangement of this Book Spiritual teachers know the specific needs of their students. Not long

before my parents passed away I asked them what were the most impor-tant teachings from the Qur°än for me to focus on in my journey. They offered the following: Always be grateful. Do the real work.

3 Rabindranath Tagore, Fireflies (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1955), p. 142.

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The Fragrance of Faith

Do this work with compassion and mercy for yourself. Remember that at your core, you are infused with the breath of

God. Be flexible. Meditate on your death.

I start the book with four pieces of prescriptive wisdom from my parents followed by insights about the three principles and five pillars. I end with two more wisdom pieces chosen by my parents.

The stories, verses, and practices in this book are those that I person-ally have spent time with and cherish. My ardent wish in writing this book is to share something of the fragrance of Isläm that my beloved parents spread wherever they went.

Please note that God, who is beyond gender, is variously invoked in this book as He, She, and It.

Throughout this book there are notations of numbers in brackets. These refer to chapter (sürah) and verse (äyah) of the Qur°än. The first time the Prophet Muåammad is mentioned in a paragraph, his men-tion is followed by the symbol for “May the peace and blessings of Alläh be upon him.” The symbol follows the first mention of other proph-ets in a paragraph, “Peace be upon him.” When Muåammad’s compan-ions are mentioned, they are followed with the symbol for “may Alläh be pleased with him” or “may Alläh be pleased with her.”

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8

WISDOM FROM PARENTS 1

Gratitude

Whatever is in the heavens and on earth extols the limitless glory of God

[Sürah Al-Jumu ah 62:1] ª

ï

ONE MORNING, the Mullah discovered, to his dismay, that his don-key had disappeared. His helper, companion, and source of livelihood had vanished! Frantically, he began to search. His neighbors joined in, looking in the hills and valleys, far and wide, but to no avail. The donkey was missing. At dusk, the neighbors turned back to give Mullah the sad news. They found him in the Town Square on his knees, hands stretched out, praising Alläh and exclaiming, “Thank you, Alläh! Thank you, Alläh!” Puzzled, the townsfolk asked the Mullah if he knew that his donkey was lost, maybe forever. “I know, I know,” beamed the Mullah. “But I have so much to be thankful for. Imagine what could have happened to me if I was on the donkey!”

The Mullah has tapped into a great secret of the Qur°än: gratitude. In giving thanks, we are participating in life’s greatest mystery, the rela-tionship of creation to Creator. The Qur°än says there is nothing that does not proclaim the Creator’s praise. When our inner faculties are awakened, we hear melodies of constant praise in the swaying of branches, the rustle of leaves, and in the dignified stillness of earth and stones. The åad th mentions that a bird, after sipping water, tilts its head heavenward not only for the water to flow through but for praise and thanks to flow heavenward!

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In expressing gratitude, we humans take our place in the wheel of life. Our souls continuously and instinctively praise our Creator. Grati-tude brings this expression of the soul into space and time.

When we are not grateful, we cover or hide God’s blessings from us, and we fail to enjoy the link with the Creator that every moment pro-vides. (Incidentally, the original meaning of “infidel” in Isläm came from the Arabic kufr: one who is “hidden” from God’s blessings because of ingratitude.) When ungrateful, we are not able to experience enjoyment. To take things for granted is one of the greatest failings of human life.

Mullah Naçruddïn announced a reward to anyone who found his lost donkey. The reward was his donkey! “Are you crazy?” the townsfolk asked the Mullah. “Not at all. You do not understand that the joy of recovering what was lost is greater than the joy of possessing it!”

Grandfather cultivated gratitude at every step. On Fridays, after noon prayers, he retired to his room for a half hour ritual. Eyes closed, hands on heart, grandfather melted into a trance. Softly, at times in silence, he intoned continuous words of heart-felt thanks to God. Interspersed with these words were recitations of Qur°anic verses. At times his body swayed with his outpourings; other times he was still. Tears poured profusely down his cheeks soaking his shirt. Curious family members who secretly peeked in invariably burst into tears.

Knowing the power of gratitude, grandfather asked that we strive to be grateful even in times of affliction. When we hold gratitude in our hearts in difficult times, we are giving thanks for unknown blessings al-ready on their way. Grandfather believed that besides compassion and awareness, gratitude is the other key available to us for unlocking the mysteries of the Universe.

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The Fragrance of Faith

Reflections It is beyond me to express Thy praise.

t

Thine own praise of Thyself alone can express what Thou art.4

(Åadïth of the Prophet Muåammad )

For sixty years I have been forgetful, every minute, but not for a second has this flowing toward me s opped or slowed.5

(Rümï)

Practices

Make gratitude an integral part of your life. For example, before eating, make it a habit to send heartfelt thanks to grains, plants, fruits, and animals who sacrifice themselves for your nourishment. Upon arising and before sleep, make it a habit to say a prayer of thanks to your Creator. You can never overdo your expression of thanks to God.

When you receive a gift, thank the giver and remember to hold gratitude for the Giver. If someone gave you a beautiful and expen-sive hat, wouldn’t you be grateful to that person? But shouldn’t you be even more grateful to the One who gave you the head on which to put the hat?6

4 Constance E. Padwick, Muslim Devotions (Oxford, England: One World Publication, 1996), p. 91. 5 Jalälu’ddin Rümï, Mathnawï I:2084, in Open Secret, translated by John Moyne and Coleman Barks (Putney, VT: Threshold Books, 1984), p. 74. 6 A similar description of this insight appears in several traditions.

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2

The Real Work

On the earth are signs for those of inner certainty, and also in your own selves. Will you not then see?

[Sürah Adh-Dhäriyät 51:20-21]

UNDER A WELL-LIT streetlight, the beloved eighth-century saint Räbiªa was engrossed in looking for a lost key. Soon her neighbors joined in the search, but without success. “Where did you drop it?” they asked, hoping to focus on that area. “Oh, I did not lose my key here but over there in my house,” replied Räbiªa. Surprised and bemused, they respect-fully asked why she did not look for the lost key in the house. “That is because my house is dimly lit, but out here it is so much brighter under the streetlight,” she explained.

The neighbors could not help laughing; they shook their heads in disbelief. This was Räbiªa’s opportunity to impart a teaching. She ad-dressed them: “Friends, it is clear that you’re intelligent. Then why is it that when you lose your peace of mind or happiness, perhaps because of a failed relationship or job, you look for what was lost out there and not in here?” Räbiªa pointed to her chest. “Did you lose your joy out there or in here? Do you avoid looking inside you because the light is dimmer, and therefore, more inconvenient?” This insight struck a deep chord in her neighbors.

This story of Räbiªa had supreme significance for my parents and grandparents. Spend time with the story, for it has exceptional powers, they insisted.

The Qur°än remarks that “In time We shall make them fully under-

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The Fragrance of Faith

stand Our messages in the utmost horizons and within themselves” [Sürah Fuççilat 41:53]. Repeatedly the Holy Book asks, “Will you not see?” Sev-eral times the Qur°än states that unless there is a change in our “inner selves,” there will be no change in outer conditions or in the flow of blessings from God [Sürah Al-Anfäl 8:53, Sürah Ar-Raªd 13:11). Reality is both outer (ëähir) and inner (bäöin) [Sürah Al-Åadïd 57:3].

To do our inner work is highly inconvenient, but to know who we are is our primary task. We need to confront who we really are. This work leads to unfolding from within, and it is necessary to usher in the fullness of our being. A common refrain of grandfather to his students was this reminder: to do the work is to become the work.

The Räbiªa story, grandfather explained, is also about the inner meaning of qiblah. The word literally means “in the direction of” and relates to Islamic prayers. Five times a day Muslims prostrate in prayer in the direction of the Kaªbah7 in Mecca. In prayer, the qiblah becomes the sacred direction.

In dealing with our issues and searching for solutions for life, may we focus our gaze and attention in the right direction. This sacred turning will happen when we apply ourselves to do what my parents called the “real work,” i.e., work on ourselves.

Reflections You know the value of eve y article of merchandise r

but if you do not know the value of your own soul, it’s all foolishness.8

(Rümï)

7 This large cubic stone structure draped in black cloth stands in the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. In the Eastern corner of the cube is a black stone which legend says was brought down to earth by the Angel Gabriel. According to tradition, the foundation was laid by Adam and the building constructed by Abraham and Ishmael . The Kaªbah establishes the direction of prayer for all Muslims around the world. 8 Jalälu’ddin Rümï, Mathnawï III:2652, in Jewels of Remembrance, versions by Camille and Kabir Helminski (Putney, VT: Threshold Books, 1996), p. 26.

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The thing we tell of can never be found by seeking, yet only seekers find it.9

(Bäyazïd Bisöämï)

9 Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, editor, Travelling the Path of Love (Inverness, CA: The Golden Sufi Center, 1995), p. 27.

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3

Compassion

In the name of Alläh, Infinitely Compassionate, Infinitely Merciful [Sürah A -Fätiåah 1:1]l

l

A ÅADÏTH says: “All that is in the revealed books is contained in the Qur°än; all that is in the Qur°än is contained in the opening sürah (chap-ter) called Fätiåah; all that is in the Fätiåah is contained in the Basma a.” The formula by which God is invoked to bestow His benediction is the Basmala: “Bismilläh-ir-Raåmän-ir-Raåim.” The words mean “In the name of Alläh, Infinitely Compassionate and Infinitely Merciful.” These words open every chapter of the Qur°än save for one. God’s Compassion and Mercy are cited one hundred and ninety-two times in the Holy Book. Compassion and Mercy are the essence of God.

There is a deeper message in the Basmala, explained grandfather. He went to great lengths to explain the inner meaning of this verse: Alläh wants us to be compassionate with ourselves.

In doing this work of transformation, of giving birth to our real Self, grandfather repeatedly reminded everyone to be compassionate with themselves. “Can we learn to receive our pain with tenderness and love? Have mercy, for we are precious in God’s eyes. Little do we know who we are, where we come from, and where we are going. Our beings de-serve to be touched by compassion every step of the way.” Grandfather was emphatic on this point, “Whatever work you do on yourself, if you do not do it with compassion for yourself, you will not make much prog-ress.”

Compassion was a mantra grandfather invoked unabashedly. While explaining a practice for inner development, he stopped in mid-sentence

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and asked his students two questions, one followed quickly by the other. “Do this practice with what?” “With compassion,” the students would reply in chorus. “Compassion for whom? “For myself, for myself,” the students joined in smiling and laughing.

To be compassionate with self does not mean that you avoid or deny what needs to be looked at and worked on in aspects of your personality. You do whatever is necessary, but with the energy of compassion and mercy. Grandfather explained what compassion meant to him. “Observe your personality with the eyes of the soul; work on what is necessary in your personality but with the qualities of your soul. The primary qualities of the soul are mercy, gentleness, and graciousness. The soul makes no judgment and is filled with unconditional love.”

Grandfather highlighted a simple point, “If I cannot be compassion-ate with myself, I cannot truly be compassionate with others. I might learn the mechanics of being kind and think I am merciful and loving, but that compassion is incomplete.”

Keep in Heart, Always True compassion encompasses everyone, including the offender.

Does this mean that the offender and the offense are excused and not dealt with? Not at all. You do what is necessary, but with qualities of the soul. Grandfather used a favorite insight, taught by his teachers, to ex-plain: “Do what is right, but please do not shut the person out of your heart." Follow this principle and you have tapped into the beauty and power of compassion.

When you are locked in a just combat with a wrongdoer, remember you are fighting the antagonism, not the antagonist. Do what is necessary, but do not banish the antagonist from your heart. For example, an honest judge presides over the trial of an offender. He does what is right: he sentences the man to life imprisonment. He can proclaim this sentence with contempt and disdain for this man, eager in his heart to banish this “scum of the earth” offender into oblivion. This is one energy. The judge can mete out the same sentence but with another energy, by not keeping

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the offender’s soul out of his heart. He reads the sentence with solemnity and respect. He makes sure that the offender is accorded his due dignities; he ensures he is not maltreated in prison. Maybe the judge even prays for the offender, sending light from his heart to the soul of the convicted person. So the same sentencing can be carried out with two different energies. One is from the ego; the other is from the soul. Compassion is energy from the soul that has the power to shift heaven and earth.

God as Compassion Some say that God is so tenderhearted and overflowing with grace

that if God could die for us, God would. This is impossible, so we have to die for God. This is the mystery of our journey. But know that God’s exquisite and Infinite Compassion sustains us on every step of our path.

A åad h says: “Whoever approaches Me walking, I will come to him running, and he who meets Me with sins equivalent to the whole world, I will greet him with forgiveness equal to it.”

ït

The great saint Bäyazïd Bisöämï heard God’s voice in a dream: “O Bäyazïd, I shall expose your spiritual infidelity to your followers, and they will stone you.” Bäyazïd shot back, “O Beloved, if you do so, I shall ex-pose Your tender heart and compassion, how forgiving You are when someone repents, the truth that your Mercy is infinitely greater than your Justice, and so no one who knows this will ever obey Your laws again.” God became silent and relented.

If God is truly compassionate, why then does God not reveal Itself to us? Is it not cruel of God to hide His Face, causing doubt and dismay in this world? Wise teachers explain that the veils between us and God are necessary. If God’s Beauty and unspeakable Majesty were to flare out in wave after wave of blinding lightning without veils, no one could endure them. Rümï says that when God reveals Its veiled Self to a mountain, the mountain laughs and is covered with grass, flowering trees, and rose bushes. These inebriate the birds and the mountain becomes a garden of birdsong. If God revealed Itself without veils, the mountains would dis-solve into ashes and dust. So the veils between us and God enable God in

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Her tenderness and compassion to sustain and nourish us as we are. Our basic nature is noble and deeply compassionate. If we do not

know this, it is because we are unaware. We have not reached a state of wakefulness and so we sometimes act from states of fear rather than from knowing within us. Rümï says that he who begrudges water to the thirsty is unaware of the mighty river flowing next to him.

As we soften the armor and defenses that we have built around the heart, we become aware of a divinely lit lamp in us. It is this flame of compassion and love in the heart that dissolves shadows within and with-out and illuminates the world.

Reflections How should Spring bring forth a garden on ha d s one r t ?

Become earth, that you may grow flowers of many colors. For you have been heart-breaking rock.

Once, for the sake of experiment, be earth! 10

(Rümï)

Practices Grandfather rejoiced in a practice in which he asked his students to

add a word of endearment to their names and to make a lifelong habit of using that affectionate term with their names whenever talk-ing to themselves. The truth is that we talk to ourselves very often and a lot of the talk is negative. Become aware of this internal con-versation. Make it a practice to relate to yourself with affection and compassion.

Grandfather called himself Heda bhai (bhai in Bengali means brother) and conversed with brother Heda quite often, with compas-sion, of course. This practice Grandfather claimed encourages one’s divine identity to step forward.

10 Jalälu’ddin Rümï, Mathnawï I:1911-1912, in Rümï Daylight, versions by Camille and Kabir Helminski (Boston, MA: Shambhala Publications, 1999), p. 51.

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4

Inner Majesty

It is He who has made you His representatives on earth [Sürah Al-Anªäm 6:165]

A SCHOLAR approached the Mullah and said, “I hear you know tech-niques that can give me revelations beyond what books and scriptures can impart.”

“Indeed it is so,” replied the Mullah, “but only on condition that you follow to the letter what I instruct.”

“Agreed!” The first week’s assignment was to kneel in the marketplace three

times daily, kiss the ground, grab his ears, and sing a particular song. The Mullah reassured the skeptical scholar that this would bring amazing reve-lations. A week later the scholar returned to report his progress. He was furious! Everyone in the market had roared with laughter and derision.

“I felt like a fool! A total, complete fool! An absolute fool!” The Mullah exclaimed, “Wow! Fantastic! Marvelous! For just one

week’s work, this is a profound revelation, wouldn’t you say?” Indeed we are fools! We are far more than our personality; inside us

resides resplendent Majesty, a sun more radiant than any sun we can imagine. But we have little idea of this.

The Qur°än points out that God molded Adam11 and Eve from water and clay and out of Infinite Graciousness infused them with His Divine breath. All the angels save for one prostrated to the Divine Spirit

11 Mentioned twenty-five times in the Qur°än, Adam is referred to twenty-one times as a collective noun, the “human”—a symbol for humanity.

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Jamal Rahman

in Adam and Eve. The Qur°än says that the human being is fiörah (origi-nally good and noble). Also, the human being is called insän, which has its roots in uns, meaning intimacy.

In the Islamic tradition, Adam and Eve were banished to earth after committing transgressions in the garden of paradise. Adam and Eve begged for forgiveness. God out of Infinite Compassion readily forgave them and, furthermore, honored them. “We have fashioned you in the best of forms,” explains the Qur°än [Sürah At-Tïn 95:4] and even though humans are capable of “the lowest sin and folly” [Sürah At-Tïn 95:5], Alläh has appointed Adam and Eve and their descendants to the exalted position of being viceroys of Alläh on earth.

The Holy Book tells humankind “We offered the Trust to the heav-ens, the earth and the mountains. They refused it and were afraid, yet man accepted it” [Sürah Al-Aåzäb 33:72]. The human being is blessed with Divine Spirit, is a bearer of the Trust, and a representative of God on earth.

You surpass this world and the next in value. What am I to do if you do not know your own wor h? t

s t

Do not sell yourself short, for you are extremely precious.12

(Rümï)

Why do we not easily know our worth? How is it that we are so un-

aware of the incredible potential within us? Rümï gives us some insights. He states that, first of all, we tend to define ourselves outside of our-

selves. We name ourselves by our outward appearances, such as our pro-fession, bank account, etc. We miss the inward reality.

Secondly, we received our soul without much work or toil. How should a man or woman who inherits know the value of wealth?

O so-and-so, you don’t know the value of your own soul becau e from His abundance, God gave i to you freely.13

12 Jalälu’ddin Rümï, Signs of the Unseen, translated by William Thackston (Putney, VT: Threshold Books, 1994), pp. 16-17.

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The Fragrance of Faith

(Rümï)

Thirdly, awakening to who we really are is the purpose of life and

the bewildering mystery of our journey: foredoomed to slumber so we might awaken; foredoomed to forget so we might remember.

Sooner or later we shall know our real self. How could it be other-wise? Inside, explains Rümï, we breathe the fragrance of the Friend.14

Reflections

You are a ruby in the mids of granite— t

t t

how long will you try to deceive us? We can see the truth in your eyes –

so come, return to the roo of the roo of your own self! 15

(Rümï)

Practices

When you encounter a difficult person, deal with the personality and do what is right. Protect yourself. But please be aware that he or she is more than personality. Can you restrain judgments, knowing that when you react in judgment, you risk criticizing the person’s es-sence? You begin to judge the Grand Artist who made the person.

13 Jalälu’ddin Rümï, Mathnawï VI:4209, in Jewels of Remembrance, versions by C. and K. Helminski, p. 187. 14 Jalälu’ddin Rümï, Love is a Stranger, versions by Kabir Helminski (Putney, VT: Threshold Books, 1993), p. 80. 15 Dïwän-i Shams-i Tabrïzï 120, in The Sufi Path of Love, translated by William Chittick (Albany, NY: State University of NY Press, 1983), p. 339.

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Jamal Rahman

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Three Principles of Islam FIRST PRINCIPLE: SURRENDER

5

The Journey of Isläm

The only religion in the sight of God is self-surrender to Him

[Sürah Äl ªImrän 3:19] THE JOURNEY of surrender is at the heart of Isläm; the word Is äm means to “surrender in peace.” The Qur°än declares that the only true religion in the sight of God is self-surrender to Him. Muslims believe that to be a slave of Alläh is to be freed from slavery to the ego.

l

t

Surrender is the lifelong practice of listening to and acting on the needs of the soul, allowing the Divine and not the ego to be the center of Reality. Surrender becomes the soul’s dynamic role in the Will of God, giving up limited will to participate in Cosmic Will. This giving up is not a resignation, but a deep honoring of one’s real self.

When you have set in the wes , then your light will rise from the east.16

(Rümï)

Grandfather was particularly eager to emphasize one central point: We cannot accomplish surrender by just saying, “O God, I surrender to You.” We must have something to surrender. Surrender requires a pre-

16 Chittick, The Sufi Path of Love, p. 193.

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Jamal Rahman

requisite. Rümï says, “Free will is the attempt to thank God for His benefi-

cence.” We have work to do on ourselves, without which surrender is meaningless. This is the work of awareness, integration, and “seeking refuge in God.” “O sifter of the dust,” says Rümï, “your intellect is in fragments, like bits of gold scattered over many matters. You must scrape them together, so the royal stamp can be pressed into you.”17

“It is important to understand,” grandfather explained, “that the work is not about destroying the ego. The ego cannot be eliminated, but it can be transmuted by expanding into a greater Light, a higher Will, a higher Intelligence.”

The Prophet Muåammad encapsulated the work involved in the journey of surrender in two of his celebrated sayings: “He who knows himself will know his Lord” and “Die before you die,” i.e., die to your ego before dying a physical death. Clearly, the work requires a lifetime of self-vigilance and spiritual practices.

First Step The first step in the journey of surrender starts with a longing that

boils up from within, an inner calling to go beyond the ego. In a åadïthqudsï,

18 Alläh says: “Between Me and you there are no veils, but between you and Me there are seventy thousand veils.” In each of us lies an innate longing to travel beyond the ego and remove the veils between self and the Creator. It is the Alläh within us yearning for Alläh. When we ac-knowledge and embrace this mysterious and abiding ache, we become a seeker.

17 Jalälu’ddin Rümï, Mathnawi IV:3287, in The Essential Rümï, translated by Coleman Barks with John Moyne (New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1995), p. 241. 18 The åadïth are divided into two groups: qudsï (sacred) and sharïf (noble). In the former, God Himself is speaking. The latter are the Prophet’s utterances and acts.

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6

Longing of the Soul

I was a secret treasure and I longed to be known . . .

LIKE MILLIONS of Muslims, grandparents rhapsodized over an exqui-site åadïth qudsï in which Alläh says:

I was a secre Treasure t

tand I longed to be known

and so I crea ed the worlds.

The truth about this longing is that it is cosmically encoded in us. Essentially, it is a longing of the soul—a sigh from the heart of the seeker to the heart of the Beloved. It is a longing that drives the wanderer ever onward.

It is wise not to avoid, suppress, or bemoan this longing. There is sa-credness to this ache. Honor the feeling and be present with it. Gently encompass it with your compassion and understanding. Follow the scent of its musk. It has the power to lead us out of our lives of quiet despera-tion and make seekers out of us. As we become travelers, magically, the Way appears.

In their lifetime, grandparents worked with hundreds of people who today would be diagnosed as suffering from clinical depression. Grandpar-ents respected their sadness as having roots in something deeper.

Two things they did worked remarkably well. Grandparents received their pain with mercy, gentleness, and love. In silent empathy, they spent time with them, often holding hands and stroking their hair. Second, they

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Jamal Rahman

helped create for them authentic community—a circle of family members and friends who volunteered to be in regular touch with the depressed person. Members of the circle were responsible for nudging, persuading, and accompanying the depressed member into going for walks, doing breathing and physical exercises, and participating in spiritual practices.

Many of these depressed friends moved through their sadness. Some became spiritual adepts and a significant number volunteered to help oth-ers.

Majesty of Longing Grandfather told stories of Ibrähïm ben Adåam to illustrate the

beauty and power of this longing. The mighty prince of eighth-century Balkh, Ibrähïm ben Adåam,

possessed everything a person might want, but still felt an emptiness in-side, an aching for something he knew not what. Relentlessly, he pursued his desires: feasting, gambling, womanizing, and hunting. Once while chasing a stag, he was separated from his retinue. In the heat of the hunt, the stag, a magical being, suddenly turned his head towards the prince and spoke, “O Ibrähïm ben Adåam, were you born for this?” and vanished! The words seared into the prince’s soul and stirred up deep questions in him.

Another time, as the prince gazed into a stately mirror, he saw him-self walking towards a long, dark tomb, further and deeper, until finally in the presence of what he perceived was a just judge, again, the question was asked, “Were you born for this?” Something shifted deep inside of him.

In a third incident, the prince half-asleep, reclining on his couch, en-tertained the idea that maybe it was time in his life to explore spiritual matters. The prince fell asleep. Suddenly a series of loud thuds on the palace rooftop woke him up. Startled and confused he shouted, “Who’s up there? What’s going on?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” replied a voice from the rooftop. “Go back to sleep. I’m just looking for my lost camel.”

26

The Fragrance of Faith

“That’s absurd,” replied the prince, “How can you be searching for your camel on top of the roof?”

“O heedless one,” came the reply, “it’s no more absurd than you, dressed in silken pajamas, lying on a gold-sewn couch, searching for Truth.”

Ibrähïm ben Adåam was awakened. He was transformed. The prince gave up his kingdom and became a beggar, a servant of service begging for alms of mercy from God.

The story of the prince epitomizes a person who follows the fra-grance of his longing musk and, in a visionary moment, gives up his ex-ternal kingdom for inner majesty.

The journey of surrender starts with a longing, an abiding sigh from the soul that puts us on the path and gives us the strength to endure diffi-culties. It’s the same longing that prompts the salmon to use every ounce of its strength to swim upstream against a mighty river, intent on the spawning pools high in the mountains; a longing that leads birds to em-bark on the hazardous journey of their migration, thousands of miles away to their unknown destination. Sooner or later, this pull from within puts us on the Path. In the end, we tire of everything except the soul’s journey back to God.

sultan, saint, pickpocket; love has everyone by the ear dragging us o God by sec et ways t r

I never knew that, God, too, desires us.19

(Rümï)

19 Vaughan-Lee, Travelling the Path of Love, p. 145.

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Jamal Rahman

Reflections Listen to the reed and the tale it tells,

how it sings of separation: Ever since they cut me from the reed bed,

my wail has caused men and women to weep.20

(Rümï)

st

The source of my grief and lonelines is deep in my breast. This is a disease no doc or can cure.

Only union with the Friend can cure it.21

(Räbiªa)

20 Jalälu’ddin Rümï, The Rümï Collection, selected and edited by Kabir Helminski (Bos-ton, MA: Shambhala Publications, 1999), p. 145. 21 Vaughan-Lee, Travelling the Path of Love, p. 48.

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